Instructor: Diane Moore
This course will take place in January 2019. In this interdisciplinary field study seminar we will examine a diversity of narratives regarding displacement and belonging in both Israel and the West Bank. Through direct encounters with representatives from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and a variety of civil society sectors in the region, students will hear diverse examples of what sociologist Ariel Hochschild calls “deep stories” that frame how individuals and communities make sense of their worlds. In our investigation, we will 1) draw upon critical theory to analyze the confluence of factors that shape how some “deep stories” rise to social and political prominence while others are obscured; 2) explore the historic roots of current narratives; and 3) examine how an understanding of conflicting “deep stories” can provide fresh avenues of insight for those working to foster justpeace in the region. In addition to employing a “public narrative” methodological framework, special attention will be given to the roles that religious ideologies and institutions play in shaping diverse narratives.